A Course True
by Sam Close
Summary: Virgil Tracy goes for a weekend out with a friend from his college days. What was supposed to be a relaxing time turns into something he didn't expect for a second. My first publicly posted fanfic.


**A/N: I've been writing fanfic for several years but never publicly posted any, then my old laptop died and I lost a lot of them. This is the first one I've written since then. I write mainly to relax, so please be kind!**

Virgil Tracy sat at the controls of Tracy Three; flying at hypersonic speeds meant that everything was mostly automated and there was nothing he needed to do until the plane slowed to subsonic speeds and even then the computer could handle everything if he wanted to let it. Watching the clouds race past he idly wondered how people used to cope with being cooped up in a plane for hours and hours at a time before hypersonic became the standard for non-military aircraft. Now you could fly from one side of the planet to the other in less than an hour and it was less than forty minutes from Tracy Island to England.

"Slowing to subsonic speeds. Subsonic flight plan filed and confirmed with London Air Traffic Control." said the on-board computer. Virgil tensed and un-tensed his muscles sub-consciously and checked the controls. Just over ten minutes to Lady Penelope's.

Virgil felt a knot of apprehension starting to form in his stomach. He was supposed to the calm, level headed one but that was not helping him right now. He had met Dexy when he started at Denver School of Advanced Technology. Dexy was impulsive, impatient, flamboyant and hyperactive; the polar opposite of Virgil. Just how they had become best friends so fast and remained best friends throughout their studies and beyond he did not know, and even though it had been over two years since they had last met up Virgil knew things would pick up exactly where they left off. Virgil had planned to enjoy a rare weekend off by relaxing on the island and getting in some serious sun lounger time. Then Dexy had called and it did not take much for Virgil to be persuaded to meet him for a weekend of catching up and whatever mayhem seemed to happen when they were together. But something had made him apprehensive about Dexy's message but he could not work out why but he felt he was being roped into something. It was rare for Dexy wanting to meet without there being an ulterior motive. Virgil smiled as he remembered the time they had arranged to meet up for Virgil's birthday but had somehow ended two hundred miles away from where they were meant to be and waist deep in mud and water.

A familiar voice snapped Virgil away from his thoughts. "Tracy Three? Do you want to land today?"

"Parker! Yes! Thanks! I do!" Virgil took the controls and switched off the auto's. He preferred to handle the landing himself.

* * *

"Your car is ready Master Virgil," said Parker walking towards Virgil, "are you hoff anywhere hexciting?"

"Meeting an old school friend," replied Virgil smiling as he grabbed a backpack from behind the seat. "Probably going to a few bars and, well know ." Virgil subconsciously flattened the hair on the back of his head.

"Oh to be young h-gain!"

"From what I've heard Parker, your youth was pretty eventful as it was!"

"I don't know what you mean Master Virgil," said Parker letting a hint of a smile escape his lips. "I shall have your plane ready for you when you return."

"I plan on being back Sunday afternoon. I have a few things I want to do before Monday morning, like check 'Two' for scratches if Gordon has flown her, and you know you can bet your bottom dollar that a call will come in if I leave it 'til Monday." Virgil walked over to the waiting car and climbed in. "I have my comm with me if you need to contact me."

Virgil drove out of the private airstrip behind Creighton-Ward mansion and activated the GPS giving it his destination where he was meeting Dexy.

He liked driving but did not get much opportunity to drive on the island though whenever he went to the mainland or was not on a call he would drive if he could. There was something relaxing about it, being alone with your thoughts and the open road. He glanced at the distance to go and the clock. Since Grandma Tracy had commented on his reliance on technology during the London blackout he had made a conscious effort to try and use it _a little bit_ less. By his reckoning he was around ten minutes from his destination.

Dexy had agreed to temporarily run a bar for a family friend soon after finishing at DSAT, and discovered he had enjoyed it so much that he had ended up buying that bar and opening several more since. Virgil was meeting Dexy at his newest bar, and had secretly hoped that this one was not named after a line from an old nursery rhyme. But no, Dexy had kept with his 'tradition' and Virgil was heading to the 'Cow and Moon'.

Cow and Moon, Three Bags Full, Hickory Dickory's, Mother Hubbard's, All The Kings Horses, and what were the others? Virgil was sure there were more but his mind refused to tell him at that moment. Something 'Star' was another perhaps? It felt familiar, like he should know but his memory was still refusing to play along. He knew Dexy would most likely quiz him on them, he could not let on that his memory was letting him down, He would never hear the end of it.

"You have arrived at your destination" reported the GPS matter of factly.

"Damn it!"

Virgil went speeding past his destination, before braking at the same time as looking for somewhere to turn around. Finding a nearby deserted junction he swung the car around and headed back along the road, slower this time.

"Road next to the bar Virg, turn in there and swing in behind the bar" he remembered Dexy's instructions clearly. After all remembering details was part of his job, a pretty important part.

Virgil parked the car and took a deep breath as he got out, nights out with Dexy tended to be exhausting and he doubted that tonight was going to be an exception.

Walking into the bar he took another deep breath and looked around. The decor was up to Dexy's usual standard over the top gaudiness, but seemed to actually suit the place.

"Cranberry vodka", Virgil was feeling like a change from his normal choice. "And I've come to see ."

"VIRRRRRRRG!" screamed a voice behind him.

"Dexy." Virgil picked up his drink and turned around to see Dexy.

"Virg come over here. Look at you, still got the babyface. I hate you!" Dexy stood there with his arms apart waiting for Virgil to get into their range.

"Hey Dexy," said Virgil trying not to show how embarrassed he felt at being announced to the entire building and eager to get the imminent embrace over with.

"You've finally made it, you've missed three of my grand openings. I haven't seen you in over two years, a boy can take a hint y'know!" Dexy released Virgil allowing him to sit at the table.

"Dress sense hasn't improved I see," Virgil took a sip of his drink to avoid smirking. Dexy's dress sense was on a level with Gordon's. Gordon's on a bad day. "I've been a bit busy with work and don't get much time away."

"That's no excuse! Virgil is a mechanical concept artist, he gets to draw and colour in pretty pictures of planes and space craft all day long. Oh this is Ben by the way." said Dexy gesturing to the man in the pale blue tee shirt who sat next to him.

As Ben and Virgil exchanged their hello's, one of the bar staff appeared next to the table.

"Dexy, there's a call for you upstairs from Hickory's they say its urgent."

"Back in a minute boys," smiled Dexy standing up, "talk about me while I'm gone but only the nice things!"

Ben looked over at Virgil and half nodded and half smiled nervously as he raised his glass to his lips. Virgil secretly wished he was better at small talk. If he had been on a call with lives in danger and rescuing people he could small talk all day to keep their morale and hopes up, but in a situation like this he felt like a fish out of water.

"Sometimes get to fly them too," he said awkwardly, "the planes I mean." Virgil hated having to use his cover story and tried not to talk about it much but at the same time wondering why he was talking about it now.

"How do you know Dexy?" asked Ben taking another mouthful of his drink.

"College. We were in pretty much the same classes at Denver School of Advanced Technology all the time we were there." Virgil smiled, "we rented a flat together in our last year. He chose a different career path though! What about you?"

"Oh, just from coming in here really, and Mother Hubbard's before. Known him a while now though my ex didn't like him. Said he was too... in your face." Ben leaned back trying to appear more relaxed than he felt.

"Yeah that's Dexy," Virgil replied smiling again, "one of my brothers says he's like a whirlwind and a hurricane rolled into one!"

Ben chuckled, "and don't forget those puppy eyes when he wants to get his way."

"Oh yeah!" Virgil exclaimed, laughing too. "Those sad, sorrowful, pleading, but-I-love-you eyes! I thought I was going to get them tonight as it has been a while since we last had a night or a weekend out so I just said yes straightaway."

"I had them nearly every night this week just to make me come out tonight," confessed Ben, "relentless it was! I usually stay in on Friday nights and do the whole end of the week feet up on the sofa thing with a takeaway and film. But I got beaten into submission by _the eyes_.

"And I could hardly say no as I'm living upstairs right now." Ben pointed skywards.

"Easy target then!" Virgil laughed, he was beginning to see how Ben was friends with Dexy, but then it was hard not to be friends with him despite his criminal dress sense.

"Yeah, I sold my place a few weeks ago and the new apartment isn't quite ready yet so Dexy offered to let me have the top floor flat until its ready."

Ben was starting to feel at ease with this person he had literally just met. He had already noticed how Virgil's eyes had twinkled when he had laughed but was trying to be careful not to stare and he noticed how his ribbing of Dexy had been nothing more than friendly banter, no maliciousness no maliciousness unlike what he had experienced with his ex. Ben liked to think he was a good judge of character, apart from his now ex who had fooled him. He was already liking Virgil and his playful manner towards Dexy.

"Dexy is good like that," Virgil placed his now empty glass on the table. "What's special about tonight? Why did he make you come out?"

"He... uhhh... said I've been single for too long and he wanted me to meet a friend of his who's also been single too long."

Ben glanced at Virgil, his eyes meeting Virgil's for a micro-second before quickly looking down and starting to nervously adjust his watch.

"Would you like another drink before he gets here?"

Virgil stood and grabbed his glass from the table.

"I... ummm... think he's already here" said Ben sounding a lot more cautious than he had intended to.

Virgil turned around to see who it was but there was no one else there. Then the realisation hit him. Hit him like he'd been struck with an arrow for not seeing it straight away. Virgil dropped back into his seat unable to keep the look of shock and surprise from crossing his face.

"Oh!

"Uhhh... _me_?

"You mean...? Me? Ohhhhhh!"


End file.
